City: Boulder, CO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Description: The USDA Forest Service trails throughout the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area are interchangeable as hiking, backpacking, and cross-country skiing trails. Some of our favorites are in the Brainard Lake area, just past Ward on Highway 72. Drive up Boulder Canyon to Nederland and head north on Highway 72; the turnoff is 200 yards past Ward on the left. Or, drive up Left Hand Canyon, north of Boulder past the Greenbriar Inn. Turn left (west) and proceed up the canyon through Ward and on to Highway 72. Turn right and look immediately to the left for the Brainard turnoff. Brainard Lake is 5 miles up CR 102.Two popular hikes at Brainard Lake are Mount Audubon (13,223 feet, 8 miles round-trip, and 2,750 feet of elevation gain), an arduous all-day climb, or much easier Long Lake, a 3-mile loop around the lake. Once at Brainard Lake, drive past the lake and look for the Long Lake and Mitchell Lake parking areas for these trailheads. The Long Lake Trail is a level stroll around this beautiful lake with spectacular views, colorful wildflowers, and wheelchair accessibility. Hikes from this area to Mitchell Lake (1 mile, one way), Blue Lake (2.5 miles, one way), and 12,550-foot Pawnee Pass via Lake Isabelle (4.3 miles, one way) are all spectacular and easy to follow (though not all are easy to ascend) on the well-marked trails. Due to the area’s great popularity and heavy use, there is now a $3 per vehicle charge, good for five days; or an annual pass is available for $15. The fee goes toward protecting the area.